Messi and Inter Miami: Continuing the miracle, ready for the "reunion" match with PSG

VHO - Winning a ticket to the round of 16 after a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras, Inter Miami not only made history at the 2025 Club World Cup but also promised a top confrontation when Lionel Messi was about to meet his old team Paris Saint-Germain. Although once considered an "outsider", the MLS representative is becoming a phenomenon at FIFA's biggest club playground.

Messi continues to write miracles on the field

Overcoming difficulties to make history

Inter Miami continued their magical journey at the 2025 Club World Cup after a dramatic 2.2 draw with Palmeiras, thereby securing a ticket to the round of 16.

This result not only helps the MLS team pass the group stage but also creates the most attractive match in the knockout round: Lionel Messi will face his old team PSG, where he played from 2021 to 2023.

The match at Hard Rock Stadium saw Inter Miami take the lead twice through goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suárez, before Paulinho and Mauricio equalized for Palmeiras in the final 10 minutes.

With this result, Palmeiras topped Group A thanks to goal difference, while Inter Miami finished second and qualified for the next round.

In the stands, the atmosphere changed dramatically: from boos when Messi and Suárez were introduced in the starting lineup, the crowd gradually turned to cheers, blowing horns, and lighting flares when Inter Miami won their ticket to the next round. A testament to the transformation in spirit and character of a team that was once underestimated.

From doubt to affirmation

Before the tournament, both coach Javier Mascherano and captain Sergio Busquets frankly admitted that Inter Miami did not have enough depth and experience to compete fairly.

“We know we are not at Club World Cup level, but we will try to compete in our group,” Busquets said in May.

However, the reality on the field has far exceeded all expectations. In a group with Porto, Al Ahly and Palmeiras, all teams with rich traditions and international experience, Inter Miami still proudly won 5 points after 3 matches, becoming the only American club to reach the knockout round of this year's Club World Cup.

Besides the brilliance of veterans like Messi or Suárez, the big mark also comes from young faces like Noah Allen, Ian Fray or Benjamin Cremaschi, players who grew up in the club's academy.

They played with remarkable character, overcoming pressure to contribute to a landmark result for American soccer.

Waiting for the reunion with PSG

Having finished second in Group A, Inter Miami will face European champions Paris Saint-Germain – who just defeated Seattle Sounders 2.0 to top Group B.

The match will take place in Atlanta on June 29, marking the first time Messi will meet PSG since his acrimonious departure in the summer of 2023.

Meanwhile, Palmeiras will face Botafogo – another Brazilian representative – in Philadelphia on June 28.

When Messi and Inter Miami became icons

Besides the professional factor, the fact that Inter Miami, the team awarded the right to represent the host country, the US, advanced far in the tournament also helped FIFA "breathe a sigh of relief".

Many people once thought that Messi's special team decision was a commercial decision. But now, Messi and his teammates have proven their true value through their performance on the field.

“We achieved our goal of qualifying from the group stage. Now we have to face the best team in Europe, but Inter will remain serious and humble,” Mascherano said. “Football has shown many times: anything is possible.”

Messi, who scored his 50th goal for Inter Miami in just 61 appearances, will enter the match against PSG as a legend still hungry to play at the top level.

After all, Inter Miami is no longer an “outsider” but is rising as a new symbol of the 2025 Club World Cup, where history is still being written every day.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/messi-va-inter-miami-viet-tiep-ky-tich-san-sang-cho-tran-tai-duyen-voi-psg-145542.html